Selkirk Planning & Design

Red Deer County Open Space Master Plan – Phases 2-4, 2006-2008

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:47:38 +0000

Team Member with the Urban Lab, In collaboration with Dillon Consulting Ltd.

As a member of the Urban Lab team at the University of Calgary, I was involved with phases 2-4 of the Red Deer County Open Space Master Plan. This innovative project is a comprehensive approach to providing an open space plan for a large central Alberta county. Over the course of several years, the Urban Lab, in collaboration with Dillon Consulting, completed a multi-phase planning document. This work consisted of an physical inventory of all County-owned open spaces, consultation with residents, documentation of cultural landscapes, and assessment of issues and opportunities. Various project zones were identified for more detailed study, and comprehensive plans for specific inter-related projects and paths were developed. This project involved the development of a comprehensive database for the County, design of a working typology of open spaces, various graphic tools for illustrating the project areas, development of policies and implementation strategies.

Regional Citation Award - Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
Award of Excellence for Parks and Open Space Design – Recreation for Life Foundation, 2009

EcoEUFORIA (Economic Evaluation of Using Urban Form to Increase Activity)

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:47:24 +0000

Team Member with the Urban Lab, In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and The Faculty of Kinesiology
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

As a member of the Urban Lab, I was involved in the initial stages of this three year project. The goal of this project is to determine the economic implications of improving urban form to support physical activity. Several aspects are being studied: activity patterns of residents that are determined by survey, measures of walkability and other parameters of urban form have been documented and analyzed through mapping and fieldwork (including reconnaissance on foot/bicycle of all 230 Calgary neighbourhoods), and the costs of modifying various aspects of the urban form will be calculated. This research will establish the cost of retrofitting and improving Calgary’s neighbourhoods and will have implications for public health.

Urban Form and Social Connectivity: what is the relationship?, 2009

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:46:14 +0000

Team Member with the Urban Lab
Client: The Urban Alliance – City of Calgary

This project aims to understand the relationship between urban form and social connectivity. My work with the Urban Lab included mapping and analysis of different neighbourhoods throughout the City of Calgary, and conducting surveys in each of the chosen study areas. Fourteen Calgary neighbourhoods representing different eras of development were analyzed in terms of various morphological and qualitative attributes, and several measures of social connectivity were analyzed by surveys and interviews. This research will contribute to the understanding of what makes “good” neighbourhood form that supports social connectivity.

Sign, Facade, & Heritage Facade Design

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:45:24 +0000

Selkirk Planning & Design was hired by the City of Revelstoke to develop sign and facade designs through the Sign and Facade Design Program, and the Heritage Design Program. This process involved working with clients to determine what the desires for their buildings were, and incorporate Downtown Commercial Design Guidelines, and Heritage Design Guidelines to produce something that fit well into the Development Permit Area, met all the design requirements through the City, and met the needs of the clients.

City of Revelstoke Zoning Bylaw Scoping, 2009 – 2010

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:40:15 +0000

Endemic Mountain Design was hired by the City of Revelstoke to develop a framework for the development of a new Unified Development Bylaw, which would combine previously existing zoning, subdivision, and building bylaws into a single bylaw. A large portion of this project was to develop a layout for the document, and research the implementation of form-, and performance-based zoning to replace the traditional Euclidian zoning system currently in place in the City of Revelstoke.

City of Revelstoke Streetscape Design Concepts, 2009

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:39:59 +0000

Endemic Mountain Design (now Selkirk Planning & Design) was hired by the City of Revelstoke to examine existing streets and use “Good Streets” within Revelstoke to encourage streetscape improvements in other areas of the City. This approach was used to develop more “Good Streets” within Revelstoke by using existing forms. Considerations for the streetscape designs included pedestrian access, parking, vegetation, aesthetics, maintenance, and snow removal. The design concepts were presented to City staff in 2009.

City of Revelstoke Official Community Plan Review, 2009

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:21:36 +0000

Endemic Mountain Design (now Selkirk Planning & Design) was hired by the City of Revelstoke to consolidate public feedback from the Official Community Plan Review. This process involved documenting the comments received through the OCP review, and to cross-reference them with the relevant section in the OCP. The feedback was synthesized and presented to council by City staff.

Scotch Creek Neighbourhood Official Community Plan, 2009-2010

fjb80 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:19:48 +0000

Endemic Mountain Design (now Selkirk Planning & Design), in collaboration with Sandalack + Associates Ltd. were hired to develop the Neighbourhood Official Community Plan for Scotch Creek in the North Shuswap. The plan focussed on using Townscape Analysis to identify the issues, opportunities, and constraints within the community. Numerous meetings were held for public input, with both the Advisory Group, and the public. The plan focussed on developing an Open Space Plan around which future development was organized. The plan recommended a variety of housing options within existing developable areas, maintaining all ALR lands, and building on existing commercial areas, to develop a village centre, and tourist commercial area that would meet the needs of full-time and seasonal residents. The draft OCP was submitted to the CSRD in preparation for adoption in August 2010.

New Denver Resilience Action Plan, 2009-2010

fjb80 — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:13:43 +0000

Project: New Denver Resilience Action Plan
Client: The Village of New Denver, BC
Collaborating Firms: Have Blue Consulting & Design Ltd.
Date: 2009 – 2010
Description: The New Denver Resilience Action Plan (NDRAP) was completed as Endemic Mountain Design, in collaboration with Have Blue Consulting and Design Ltd. The Government of British Columbia requires municipalities that signed on to the BC Climate Action Charter to complete an Integrated Sustainable Community Plan in order to continue to receive funding from the BC Gas Tax Revenue. We found that focussing on sustainability was not enough when considering the possible impacts of Peak Oil and Climate Change. Focussing instead on making the Village more resilient took advantage of opportunities and provided more clear actions to be undertaken. The NDRAP was completed in April, 2010.

Overview – An Urban Design Approach

fjb80 — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:05:45 +0000

Selkirk Planning & Design offers a variety of services covering all aspects of regional planning and community design. SPD approaches every project from an Urban Design perspective. Whether developing a sustainability plan, or a site specific design, considering each project from an urban design perspective means considering environment, history & culture, development patterns, and all the other elements that make the community unique. An urban design approach provides the background needed to make informed, locally-based decisions that maintain a sense of place.

An urban design approach includes environmental planning, mapping and analysis to develop a rationale that guides the site planning and visualization phases.

View my full portfolio of projects or contact me to discuss these services.